Downtown Bradenton bar busted for illegal arcade gambling machines, police say
The Bradenton Police Department seized slot machines from a local bar Wednesday morning following a month-long investigation into illegal gambling, the agency announced in a press release.
Along with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, police say they conducted “several undercover operations” in March at Pour Decisions Saloon, 430 12th St. W., Bradenton, where they found four arcade-style video slot machines available to customers for illegal gambling.
Detectives said they obtained a search warrant and removed the four machines from the business Wednesday.
Photos posted by police to social media show crime scene tape surrounding the business on a sidewalk in downtown Bradenton.
No customers or employees were arrested, however, police say the investigation is ongoing.
The investigation comes after similar operations by the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.
Gambling machines removed from Bradenton bar
A sheriff’s office crackdown on illegal gambling made in July 2023 saw deputies seize 69 gambling machines along with more than $52,000 in illegal proceeds, the Bradenton Herald previously reported.
Several businesses were also closed during the operation, investigators said.
Another operation by the sheriff’s office in September 2023 saw them shut down another game room, along with seizing another 33 slot machines and $15,000 in illegal profit, according to deputies.
Operating a slot machine without a license is against the law. Business owners could face up to five years in prison and be fined as much as $10,000 per machine for failing to comply with the law.
Anyone with information about illegal gambling in Bradenton is asked to call the Bradenton Police Department at (941) 932-9300 or submit an anonymous tip to Manatee CrimeStoppers at ManateeCrimeStoppers.com.
